Festspillene i Bergen og Skiforbundet fortsetter med oljespons

The document presents reflections from a panel discussion regarding the ethical implications of oil sponsorship in Norway. It criticizes the Festspillene i Bergen and the Norwegian Ski Federation for maintaining long-term partnerships with companies like Equinor, Aker BP, and Vår Energi, arguing that such ties limit freedom of expression, target children and youth for marketing, and contradict climate goals.

• The Festspillene i Bergen and the Norwegian Ski Federation intend to maintain their sponsorships with the oil industry, citing that these long-term partnerships enable development. The author argues this creates a dependency that restricts the institutions' freedom of expression and forces them to legitimize the industry most responsible for the climate crisis.
• Equinor's sponsorship efforts specifically target children and youth through culture and sport. The author suggests this is a strategic move to increase legitimacy, secure future recruitment, and create ambassadors, mirroring tactics used by the American Petroleum Institute (API) since 1919.
• The author contends that oil sponsorship functions as a tool to silence criticism and spread disinformation. He notes that Equinor's renewable energy share is less than 1% of its total energy production, and that globally, oil companies account for less than 1% of renewable energy investments according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
• There are close institutional ties between the Norwegian oil industry, the state, and major cultural/sporting bodies. Examples include Thorhild Widvey, the Chair of Festspillene i Bergen, who has been a central figure in the oil industry, and Cathrine Instebø, the new cross-country skiing manager for the Ski Federation, who was previously a sponsorship manager at Equinor.

APA

Eggen, E. (2024). Festspillene i Bergen og Skiforbundet fortsetter med oljespons. Klimakultur. https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/festspillene-i-bergen-og-skiforbundet-fortsetter-med-oljespons/

Chicago

Eggen, Erlend. Festspillene i Bergen og Skiforbundet fortsetter med oljespons. Klimakultur, 2024. https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/festspillene-i-bergen-og-skiforbundet-fortsetter-med-oljespons/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Eggen |first1=Erlend |title=Festspillene i Bergen og Skiforbundet fortsetter med oljespons |publisher=Klimakultur |date=10 April 2024 |url=https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/festspillene-i-bergen-og-skiforbundet-fortsetter-med-oljespons/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{eggen2024festspillene, author = {Eggen, Erlend}, title = {{Festspillene i Bergen og Skiforbundet fortsetter med oljespons}}, publisher = {Klimakultur}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/festspillene-i-bergen-og-skiforbundet-fortsetter-med-oljespons/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }